|
Community Colleges constitute
the largest segment of higher education in the United States.
Nearly 1,200 institutions in all 50 states enroll 11 million
students, 6 million of whom are seeking a degree or a certificate.
Most community colleges provide open access, enabling both
U.S. and international students to benefit from the high-quality
and low-cost courses they offer with few admissions requirements.
The student bodies at community colleges are enormously
diverse-in terms of goals, needs, backgrounds, and life
circumstances.
 Community
colleges were created to serve their communities, and they
continue to place high priority on responding to local needs.
At the same time, these colleges increasingly recognize
that their students will live in a multicultural, interdependent
society. For this reason, more and more community colleges
are expanding their programs and services to embrace the
"world community." A basic goal is to help students
become more comfortable and competent in moving personally
and professionally among cultures of the world.
Another goal of the community college is to
prepare students to engage in worldwide activities related
to education, business, and social interaction. To achieve
these goals, community colleges are engaged in a wide range
of efforts to internationalize the learning experience.
They are incorporating international components into new
and existing classes; providing special programs, activities,
and classes for their growing immigrant and foreign student
populations; initiating study abroad programs; encouraging
faculty exchanges; and recruiting international students
to their campuses.
For the international student, community colleges
offer an affordable education, in a supportive, challenging
environment. Students can work toward an associates degree,
certificate, or diploma in a number of areas. About 20 percent
of the students on campus are working toward a bachelor's
degree. Others are learning a new skill, or coming back
to school after being away for many years. Top-notch faculty,
state of the art facilities, and small class size are the
hallmarks of a community college education.
Many community colleges offer support services
to international students including: international student
advising, counseling services, admissions and records assistance,
a comprehensive library, computer labs, learning support
services, a career center, disabled student services, housing
assistance, a student health office, a campus bookstore,
and day and evening food services. Also, many colleges offer
extracurricular activities like athletic teams and student
clubs.
Just how extensive is this commitment to international
education? Results of a survey released last spring by the
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) found
that more than 80 percent of responding colleges have integrated
international components into course work and 83 percent
sponsor activities to promote global awareness.
 Reflecting
increased demand, enrollments in colleges with international
business programs grew from 23 percent to 60 percent over
the last five years. Forty-four percent of the responding
colleges had recruited or hired faculty and staff from other
countries or with international experience. And seventy-eight
percent either sponsored or worked in partnership with others
to offer travel and exchange programs for study abroad.
Moreover, Open Doors 2000 reports that over 85,000 international
students were enrolled in associate degree programs in 1999/00.
For more than 100 years, community colleges
have been offering affordable, convenient, and accessible
education and training to millions of men and women. They
have produced astronauts, doctors, business tycoons, artists,
sports legends, and scientists who have touched lives around
the world.
As the primary advocacy, leadership, and service
organization for the nation's community colleges, the American
Association of Community Colleges actively supports an international
role for community colleges in all dimensions of worldwide
education and training. Community colleges are strategically
positioned and experienced to educate and train individuals
to function successfully in a multicultural and advanced
technological environment that crosses all boundaries of
education, communication, language and business.
Web Resources
American Association
of Community Colleges
www.aacc.nche.edu
Community College Web
www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/cc/
US News and World Report
Community College Search
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/community/commsrch.htm
Submitted by
Judy Irwin
Director, International Programs
|
